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Liverpool edged their way to a win over Ajax after a Nicolas Tagliafico own goal gifted Jurgen Klopp a much-needed boost following a torrid few days in the camp.

The Reds were given a huge blow to their defending title season after Virgil van Dijk suffered an ACL injury during the Merseyside derby. The likelihood of the Dutchman being sidelined for the rest of the campaign is very likely. Joel Matip was also left out of Liverpool’s travelling squad last night after picking up a knock.

Klopp was forced to deploy makeshift centre-back Fabinho into the defence to accompany Joe Gomez and troublesome goalkeeper Adrian. But in spectacular fashion, the Brazilian rode to his side’s rescue and was arguably the reason why the Reds were able to come away with a huge win.

Fabinho could be Liverpool’s answer

Spoils could have been shared at the Johan Cruyff Arena yesterday if it wasn’t for Fabinho’s James Milner-esque heroics. After Dusan Tadic chipped Adrian and looked destined to bag a goal, Liverpool’s No.3 came rushing in with a superb clearance off the line to keep Ajax out.

As well as his impressive acrobatics, Fabinho made an impressive four clearances and four tackles, plus won eight successful duels and enjoyed an 85% passing success rate (via Sofascore).

Klopp also provided an even bigger boost after the game, revealing that the 26-year-old actually enjoys playing in the centre-half position and admitted that he isn’t surprised he played well against Ajax (via Liverpool ECHO). Similarly, he was lauded for his appearance alongside van Dijk against Chelsea last month.

Alisson praised the midfielder-turned-defender for his “unbelievable” shift across the back four, telling the club’s website that he expects these kind of performances from his fellow Brazil international.

With such an influential display under his belt, Fabinho will have eased the minds of both his teammates and the Liverpool fans. It’s unlikely Klopp will opt for anyone else to accompany Gomez in the heart of the defence this season and he may also be a contender for van Dijk’s partner once he returns from injury.

In other news, Jamie Carragher highlights concerns over Joe Gomez in Virgil van Dijk’s absence…

Tottenham Hotspur are the overwhelming ‘favourites’ to sign Southampton star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer, reports say. 

Jose Mourinho has identified Hojbjerg as the missing piece of the puzzle he needs to rebuild Tottenham’s midfield.

According to The Athletic, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, Spurs are the front-runners to complete his signing in the summer, amid interest from Everton.

Carlo Ancelotti has wasted no time at all in trying to sign the Danish international, as the Toffees have already submitted a £14m bid for his signature.

Southampton initially valued him at £25m in January, although they are now willing to accept £20m for him as circumstances have changed, but Everton’s offer has still fallen short.

The Dane has set his sights on a move to Spurs over any other club, as he is keen to learn from Mourinho.

Hojberg, 24, has played 33 games in the Premier League this season, supplying one assist, taking 1.4 shots, winning 2.4 tackles and completing 1.5 clearances per game on average (stats provided by WhoScored).

Ralph Hassenhuttl removed the captain’s armband from the midfielder after he refused to sign a new deal at St Mary’s, and he even suffered the ignominy of being dropped from the squad altogether, although he played the full 90 minutes at right-back in the 1-1 draw with Brighton.

While he will not be available for a cut-price deal as Spurs had initially hoped, he should be more than affordable, as Daniel Levy spent £53.8m on Tanguy Ndombele last year.

A move for Hojbjerg could see Kyle Walker-Peters head in the opposite direction, although the Lilywhites have not launched a formal bid as of yet.

Spurs could see a changing of the guard if Hojbjerg arrives in north London in the summer, as former Pochettino favourite Harry Winks could be forced to make way, while questions remain over Ndombele’s future at the club.

Tottenham fans, do you think Daniel Levy should sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer? Let us know down below!

Micky Adams expects his former club Leicester City to bid farewell to Ben Chilwell this summer amid serious interest from Chelsea.

The ex-Foxes manager believes the England international is set to leave the King Power Stadium this transfer window. Speaking to the Daily Star, Adams has summed up the situation in a blunt manner, admitting simply that ‘money talks’.

Indeed, Chilwell has been heavily linked to a move to Chelsea who are in a strong position for welcoming new recruits. After enduring their two-window transfer ban, the Blues have a hefty amount of funds to splurge on transforming their squad ahead of this season.

“It’ll be down to Chilwell. The power is always with players,” Adams said. “If he gets his head turned by Chelsea, then money talks.”

Frank Lampard identified his defence as an area that needs attention ahead of what promises to be an exciting 2020/21 season. The Blues conceded the most goals out of the top ten Premier League sides last term (54) and with new quality attackers coming in, Chelsea must balance the squad with similar calibre defenders.

Chilwell has been named amongst several high profile defensive targets Lampard wants to bring to Stamford Bridge. Others include Declan Rice and Thiago Silva, who is close to joining the West Londoners on a one-year deal

“Leicester are no different to anyone else. If they feel the cash is too good to turn down, then he’ll go,” Adams concluded.

According to a recent report from the Daily Express, Chelsea are willing to table an offer of £50million for Chilwell alongside a wage packet worth £150,000 per week. This will put the 24-year-old in the club’s top three earners, behind only Kepa Arrizabalaga and highest paid player Christian Pulisic (via Spotrac).

Do you want to see Chelsea finalise a move for Ben Chilwell? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

It is no secret Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho is keen to strengthen his squad in the summer. 

Mourinho has made it clear he wants to sign a new centre-back, right-back and midfielder.

The Spurs head coach knows he will need to make additions to his defence, as Jan Vertonghen and Juan Foyth are seemingly set to leave, while Japhet Tanganga has been ruled out for the foreseeable future.

According to Fichajes, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, Tottenham have now submitted a 30 million euro (£27m) offer for Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes.

It is pretty obvious Spurs have serious problems at the back, as they have conceded more goals in the Premier League than Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as Crystal Palace and Sheffield United.

Gabriel, who has been recognised as “one of the top five central defenders in Europe” by Lille president Gerard Lopez, has made 24 appearances in Ligue 1 this season, scoring 1 goal, making 1.7 tackles and averaging 3.3 clearances per game via WhoScored.

The Spanish outlet revealed Mourinho has personally requested that Spurs sign Gabriel.

Previous reports claimed the Lilywhites had failed to meet Lille’s demands but that no longer appears to be the case.

The Brazilian has been linked with a move to the Premier League as Arsenal and Everton made offers for the defender in January. Spurs have a close relationship with the Mastiffs though, which could work in their favour.

Indeed, Mourinho plundered their ranks for his assistant manager and goalkeeper coach, and is friends with sporting director Luis Campos.

While Vertonghen has signed a short-term extension, he will leave the club as a free agent once the season is completed. The Belgian, who was a favourite of Mauricio Pochettino, has been a loyal servant for many years.

His departure will leave space in the squad and the 22-year-old could be the perfect fit in his place.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign Gabriel Magalhaes? Let us know down below!

Derek Parlane has suggested that Steven Gerrard and Glasgow Rangers should make a move for James Milner as he is exactly what they need at Ibrox.

Gerrard and Milner were former England teammates, although they just missed each other at Liverpool – Gerrard joined LA Galaxy in the same summer as the former Aston Villa man’s arrival. Milner may not have been the most exciting player for Liverpool but he has been one of their most reliable, scoring 26 goals and making 40 assists in 203 appearances for the club as they have won the Premier League and the Champions League under Jurgen Klopp.

However, Milner is now 34 and approaching the end of his career, and Parlane believes that he would be a good fit for the ‘Gers. He told The Scottish Sun:

“They need people like Milner. Someone who has been there and done it.

“He has been unbelievable for Liverpool and is one of their unsung heroes.

“He can come in and play anywhere and he never lets you down.

“At the age of 34, he is still one of the fittest players in the Premier League and he is exactly what Rangers need.

“He is an absolute machine and he has such a strong mentality.

“He is a proven winner and a few guys of his ilk in the squad would make an enormous difference next season.”

There is no doubting that Milner should be a fantastic signing for the Gers. Throughout his career, he has managed 535 Premier League appearances, has won the title on three separate occasions, and as previously mentioned, he has also won the biggest club competition in Europe. With 61 England caps, 85 career goals and 123 career assists to his name, he can legitimately be considered a Premier League legend.

From a finance point of view, though, it would be a difficult deal to pull off. He is currently valued at £5.85m by Transfermarkt and is reportedly on a huge £140,000 per week at Liverpool – the ‘Gers could only manage to pay a fraction of that.

Of course, his arrival would be welcomed if it were ever to occur, but this is almost impossible financially. Still, Parlane can dream!

‘Gers fans, do you share Parlane’s views on Milner? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

Loads of Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been reacting on Twitter after fan account Spurs Web relayed a report by the print version of Il Messaggero, via Sport Witness, saying Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi was Daniel Levy’s first-choice option to replace Mauricio Pochettino, rather than Jose Mourinho.

The report says that Levy was ‘precisely thinking’ about bringing the Italian to north London, but it failed to happen as Mourinho was appointed in November less than 12 hours after Pochettino’s sacking was announced.

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Inzaghi has gone on to impress in Serie A again this term, leading the Rome-based outfit to second in the standings before the current break to proceedings.

The story is certainly an interesting one in many ways, as the 43-year-old appears to be far more similar to Pochettino than the current Spurs boss is, if they wanted to carry on in a similar vein and with a similar strategy to when the Argentine was at the helm.

Spurs supporters have been quick to have their say on the report, which has to be described as a surprise given Levy said on the announcement of the former Manchester United and Chelsea boss that he was “one of the most successful managers in football”.

Some fans have acknowledged that fact in suggesting the story isn’t true, but others have suggested they would like Inzaghi in the future.

Check out the reaction below…

In other Tottenham news, Stan Collymore has launched a scathing attack on Spurs & Daniel Levy after Tuesday announcement…

Tottenham Hotspur have been heavily linked with a move for Norwich City right-back Max Aarons since the turn of the year, and the young English talent has dropped a subtle hint that’ll only add fuel to the fire.

Football Insider believe he is a ‘top priority’ this summer.

The 20-year-old was part of the Canaries side that dumped Spurs out of the FA Cup back in March and has been mooted with a switch to north London this summer after making his mark in the Premier League.

On Thursday, Aarons was answering fan questions on Instagram, one of which was about the best stadium he has played in during his career – his choice? Spurs’ swanky new offering.

He, via Football.London, said:

“The new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is crazy.

“You can look at it and you can tell just how good it is, how good it has been built and that one is a great stadium.”

“But I can’t really chose between that one and Old Trafford.”

Max Aarons to Instagram on Thursday

Aarons has played 30 times this campaign, recording two assists in what is his debut campaign in the top-flight.

It is thought that rock-bottom Norwich value their coveted prospect at £30m as per the Daily Mail back in January. Arsenal, Everton and West Ham are also mentioned in that report.

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Will the England U21 international be playing for Jose Mourinho next season? That remains to be seen. But these comments are certainly a nice hint to the Spurs boss and chairman Daniel Levy.

AND in other news, Spurs fans react as DIVISIVE ace in line for NEW contract…

And now it is finally official – Tottenham Hotspur have sacked Mauricio Pochettino and the Argentine coach has been replaced by none other than Jose Mourinho.

Of course, such a big event has already sent shockwaves across the footballing stage and Barcelona fans were also very quick to join in the debate.

Watch Spanish Football Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

But while people will undoubtedly be discussing whether Pochettino has deserved to get the axe or whether Mourinho is the right man to take over, many Cules simply can’t believe one thing – how it is possible that Ernesto Valverde is still at Barcelona while other underperforming coaches such as the Argentine and Niko Kovac are flying out the door on a regular basis.

Many of them were quick to bash the board for it, while many bashed Valverde himself. Then, there were others who simply feel the club is outright pathetic at the moment.

You can see some of their reactions and comments down in the tweets below.

Check them out…

Speaking on talkSPORT on Thursday, Southampton loanee Kyle Walker-Peters has revealed the bizarre reason he’s had to contact parent club Tottenham Hotspur in recent weeks.

What did he say?

Well, the 22-year-old joined the south coast outfit on a temporary basis until the end of the campaign during the January transfer window, but of course recent events mean that all of the players are now training at their homes.

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Asked whether he’s currently in talks with Spurs or Saints, the full-back told talkSPORT: “I did actually contact Tottenham because I didn’t have any footballs at my house. I’m back in my house in London at the moment, and luckily Tottenham brought me over some balls.â€

Something you don’t really consider

Of course, footballers not having cones and footballs at home isn’t something you naturally consider when they are forced to train at home in exceptional circumstances like these.

You may expect a player to have a ball perhaps, but in this instance it was lucky that Walker-Peters was back in the English capital and so close to home.

The Englishman will certainly be looking forward to the 2019/20 season resuming too – if it does – given he has so far failed to make an impression under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Indeed, he only made one Premier League start before the current halt to proceedings, while he saw a midfielder in James Ward-Prowse and then Yan Valery – who hadn’t started since the 9-0 defeat to Leicester in October – picked at right-back ahead of him in their previous two top-flight outings.

Work to do, then.

In other Tottenham news, Tanguy Ndombele has responded when asked whether he prefers PSG or Barcelona amid recent exit links…

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The answer could be right under their noses.

Whilst there has been plenty of talk about Nottingham Forest shopping for a new forward in the transfer market and with help needed for Lewis Grabban, there is someone they could turn to possibly make the matter easier.

This is rather surprising because he’s someone that should be relatively familiar to the hierarchy at the City Ground, and that’s loanee Tyler Walker.

Walker has been having a relatively successful time at Lincoln City, with seven goals and two assists in 15 league appearances so far this season (via Transfermarkt), so clearly knows where the back of the net is.

Find out what happened when a world-record-holding freestyler attempting skills with the worst pair of boots available on eBay in the video below…

Anyone who comes in is going to be asked to play second fiddle to the main man Grabban, so there’s no point going out and signing a big name because it would just cause tension as they fight it out to see who can start each week.

Therefore, bring in someone that won’t want to cause a fuss and can chip in every now and then. Get someone who can develop underneath an experienced forward like Grabban and see how things are moving forward.

Playing at a higher level and being around Championship players will undoubtedly give Walker’s career development much more of a boost.

We’ve seen that he can produce at League One, now might be the perfect time to see if he can produce at a higher level.

It’s not just in terms of goals that Walker can help them out, but also in the bank. Bringing him into the side means they won’t have to shell out any extra money on either a transfer fee or to cover his wages, and they might even take the step of sending the underperforming Rafa Mir back to Wolves.

They can then use that money to spend on other areas of the pitch that might need improving. For instance a more reliable creative midfielder, rather than having to chop and change between the likes of Joao Carvalho and Tiago Silva.

Is he going to instantly come in and score the 10-15 goals that Nottingham Forest need to challenge for promotion? Probably not, but if he can chip in with the odd goal now and then when Grabban needs a little bit of rest then he will have served his purpose.